Vehicle buffer construction



G. A. LYON VEHICLE BUFFER CONSTRUCTION Filed May 9, 1923 ltl Patented Feb. 3, 1925,

tlisiitd hlfi STATES GEORGE ALBERT LYON, OF PHILADELPHIA. PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE BUFFER CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoiien An nnrr LYON. a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Vel'iicle Buffer Constructions, of which the following is a specification, taken in connect on with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

'llhis application is a partial continuation o my copend'ing application, SGl'ltll. (332,076, filed April 14, 1923, and contains subject matter taken therefrom.

In the accon'ipanying drawinp showing a somewhat diagrammatic way various illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an illustrative buffer. I

Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof.

Fig. 3 shows an edge bent strip of blank, and

Figs. 4: and 5 show a butter element which may he formed therefrom.

I Fig. 6 shows another edge bent strip or blank. and

Figs. 7 and 8 show a butler element which may be formed therefrom, and

Fig. 9 is a front view of a buffer which may be formed of such elements.

in the illustrative butter shown in Figs. 1. and 2 the buffer front may be formed of two adjustably connected front: elements of relatively wide thin spring, steel strip, One of these elements may comprise the vertically or transversely se 'ia-rated front strips, 1 and connected at the butter end by an edge bent coned up integral connector portion 26 which may, as indicated in Fig. 2, be

rearwardly inclined adjacent the automobile wheels. The portions of these bufier front strips forming: this element 3 may, as indicated in Fig. l. he converging adjacent the coned up connector portion so as to come together considerably at about the point; 23 so that the di tan e of these strip edges may be reduced to l or 2 inches, if desired. It is also desirable in most cases to have the inner portions of the element from about the strip 4.- to the strip ends 2, 6 substantially parallel and the strips may be close-- i spaced in this vertically or transversely separated position so that their edges 37 may be an inch and a half or so apart between the clan'iping devices such as 12 which many adjustably clamp the elements 1923. Serial no. 637,671.

together. The other cooperating element 9 may have similar vertically displaced or transversely separated front strips 7 and Which may be parallel between the strip ends 8 and 11, and the ends 2, 6 of the other element. These strips may he joined by an integral connector portion 26 of similar configuration and similarly rearwardly inclined as shown in Fig. 2. lVhere the coned up edge bent connector portion is arranged in about this way the adjacent poi tions of the strip members may ,be oppositely inclined at angles of 10 to more or less from the vertical and then the inwardly extending portions of these strips may be oppositely twisted to bring the strips into substantial vertical alignment by the time the clamping, devices or the other overlapping strip ends are reached. The clamping devices may not only securely clamp or connect the overlapping strips in laterally adjusted position but may also securely connect to each of these strips in both the upper and lower vertically separated members of the buffer front, the wide connecting portions of the supporting or attaching members such as the inturned connecting portions 14, 20 shown in Fig. 2, which may be clamped to the buffer front members by the clamping bolts 13. These attaching members may also he formed of hardened and tempered spring steel strip, if desired, and may have the curved resilient portions 15, 16, 18, 19 which are adapted to be connected to the automobile in any suitable way as by the laterally extending brace bar portion 1'? which may be clamped securely to the frame ends 2]..

Butler elemcnts of this type may be conveniently made by forming an edge bent conneetor it portion 26 in the buileit strip as shown in Fig. 3. This may he done by l'ieiiding the strip around suitable forms when properly heated audit is sometimes desirable to bend or curve in toward each other the adjacent portions of the strip near this ei'lge bent con nector portion so that the inner edges of the strip curve in somewhat at about the points 23, the outer portions or strip ends 1, 5 being preferably straight and diverging at a considerable angle. from this integral connector portion. ln-this way an edge bent buffer strip or blank 27 is formed which may advantageously be coned or shaped up by cold or hot bending processes, in some cases at the same heat as when the original edge bend is formed therein. This coning up of the edge bent connector portion 26 to some such position as is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 naturally contracts this bent connector portion and brings the connected strip ends 1 and 5 correspomlingly closer together, the adjacent portions of these strip men'ibers converging at about the points 2:3 as is indicated in Fig. 4. In this way the original diameter or radius of the edge bent blank shown in Fig. 3 may be considerably reduced and the space between the adjacent edges 36 of this element may, if desired, he only a quarter or a sixth of the inner diameter of the coned up connector portion 26- which may, if desired, be rearwardly inclined to some such extent as is indicated in Fig. 2.

Thus as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the larger outer edge of this connector portion 26 is located behind or to the rear of its smaller inner edge 2i and of: course the strips may be oppositely twisted from about the point 23 where they are oppositely inclined, so that their inner portions at about the point 1, 5 in Fig. 4 may be in substantial transverse alignment, if desired.

Another form of blank suitable for this purpose is shown in Fig. 6 as comprising the edge bent connector portion 31 joining the integral diverging strips or members 32, ill of such wide thin butler stock which may be flat spring steel, if desired. After edgewise bending such a blank as 28 the edgewise bent portion may be coned or formed up so as to be considerably contracted as is indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, where this action reduces the divergence between the strip ends 32, 34,'which may be brought together into parallel or somewhat converging form, if

- indicate desired. This generally conical configura tion or forward projection or bending of the inner edge 29, of the edge bent blank may, as

. vertical or transverse plane it this is desired.

This coning up or somewhat conical forward bending of the edge bent blank or bufl'er makes it possible to limit the edge bending of the blank to an amount which does not undesirably strain or distort it and then bring the diverging ends of such'blanks as is shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 6 into such contracted position at the bend that the con nected strips are brought together into closely spaced parallel-or other relation, as

in Figs. 6 and 7, reduce the eurvadesired, for the buffer element. All these bending operations may of course be performed while the buffer strips are partly or entirely heated and the finally shaped elements may be heat treated as by being oil quenched and tempered Where this is de sired for additional resilient strength. The butler front or other elements may also be suitably finished as by having more or less of their surfaces ground, polished and nickel plated or japanncd or otherwise finished. Fig. 9 shows an illustrative butter which may be formed from such elements as are illustrated in. Figs. 7 and 8. Two such elements are there shown as adjustably secured with their strip ends2, (i and 8, ll in overlapping position adjacent the clamping members 12, which may also connect these butler 'l'ront clei'nents to the supporting attat-hing devices of the type shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 an. 2.

This invention has been described iifconnection with a number of embodiments. forms, proportions, sizes, parts, arrange-- ments, materials, methods of construction.

ment an integral connector portionof the strip edge bent and coned up and thereby contracted to bring the horizontally extending vertically spaced end portions of the strips into closely spaced substantially vcrti cal alignment. with their adjacent edges about two to live inches apart, and an attaching member adapted to be secured to the automobile frame and having laterally extending connecting portions rigidly secured to both vertically separated portions of each of said elements adjacent the ends of said butter front.

2. The automobile buffer comprising two connected elements formed of wide thin steel strip and each comprising vertically spaced horizontally extending portions and comprising at the end of the element an in tegral connector portion of the strip edge bent and coned up and thereby contracted to bring the horizontally extending vertically spaced end portions of the strips into closely spaced substantial vertical alignment, and an attaching member adapted to be secured to the automobile frame and hav ing laterally extending connecting portions rigidly secured to both vertically separated portions of each of said elements.

3. The automobile buffer comprising two I connected elements formed of Wide thin steel strip and each comprising vertically spaced portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector portion of the e strip edge bent and coned up and contracted to bring the vertically spaced end portions of the strips into closely spaced position,

and an attaching member adapted to be secured to the automobile frame and having connecting portions rigidly secured to both Vertically separated portions of each of said elements.

4. The automobile buller comprisii'ig two connected elements formed of wide thin steel strip and each comprising vertically displaced portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector portion ofthe strip edge bent and contracted to bring the vertically displaced. end portions of the strips into closely spaced position, and an attaching member adapted to be secured to the automobile frame and having connecting portions secured to said elements.

5. The automobile butler con'iprising connected elements formed of wide thin steel strip and each comprising vertically spaced horizontally extending portions and an integral connector portion edge bent and bent into projecting substantially conical form to bring the adjacent portions into closely spaced vertically spaced position and arranged in. oppositely inclined angular position, said vertically spaced portions being oppositely twisted adjacent said connector portion to bring the strip ends into substantial vertical alignment, and an attaching member adapted to be secured to the automobile frame and secured to both said elements.

6. The automobile bufi'er comprising connected elements formed of wide thin steel strip and each comprising vertically spaced portions and an integral connector portion edge bent and bent into projecting substantially conical form :to bring the adjacent port-ions into closely spaced vertically spaced position and an attaching member adapted to be secured to the automobile frame and secured to both said elements.

7. The automobile bufi'er front comprising connected elements formed of Wide thin tempered spring steel strip and each com prising ;voi-tically spaced horizontally extending portions and comprising at the end (ii the element a rcarivardly inclined integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and concd up to hold the adjacent t ansversely spaced portions in converging oppositcly inclined position, said adjacent transversely Spaced portions being oppositely twisted to bring the connected strip ends into substantial vertical transverse alignment near the center of the butler front with their adjacent edges about two to is r inches apart iii) gral connector portion of the strip edge bent and concd up to hold tho-adjacent transversely spaced portions in converging closely spaced position.

5). The automobile bufi'cr front comprising connected elements formed of wide thin spring steel strip and each com 'irising transversely spaced horizontally extending strip end portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector portion of the strip cdgc bent and concd up to hold thc adjacent transversely spaced portions in closely spaced oppositely inclined positions, said adjacent transversely spaced portions being oppositely twisted to bring the connected strip ends into substantial transverse alignn'icntwith their adjacent edges about two to four inches apart.

It). The automobile buffer front comprisin;- connected elements formed of Wide thin spring steel I strip and cach comprir ng transversely spaced horizontally extending strip end portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector port on of the strip edge bent and coned up to hold the adjacent transversely spaced port ions in closely spaced inclined positions, said adjacent transversely spaced portions being twisted to bring the connected strip ends into substantial transverse alignment.

11. The automobile bull'cr t'ront com'pris-' ingronncctcd elements torn'icd of Wide thin steel strip and each comprising transversely spaccd horizontally extending portions and comprising at the end of the element a rcaru'ardly displaced integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and coned up to hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in closely spaced converging positions with their adjacent edges about two to four inches apart.

1:2. The automobile butler front comprising connected elements formed of Wide thin steel strip and each comprising transversely spaced horizontally extending portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector portion of the strip edgc bent and coned up to hold the adjacent transversely spaced poitions in closely spaced position.

13. The automobile bufi'er front element formed of Wide spring steel strip and comprising transversely spaced portions and comprising at the end of the element a rear- \vurdly inclined integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and coned up with its outer edge further rearward than its inner edge to contract said connector portion and hold the adjacent transversely versely spaced portions and comprising'at.

the end of the element a rearwardly inclined integral connector portion of the stripedge bent and coned up with 1ts outer edge tract said connector portion and hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in more closely spaced position.

15. The automobile buffer front element formed of wide thin tempered spring steel strip and comprising transversely spaced portions and comprising atthe end of the element rearwardly inclined integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and coned 11p to contract said connectonportion and hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in converging oppositely inclined positions, said adjacent transversely spaced portions being oppositely twisted to bring the connected strip ends into substantial transverse alignment with their adjacent edges about two to four inches apart.

16. The automobile buffer front element formed of wide thin steel strip and compris ing transversely spaced portions and comprising at the end of the element a rearwardly inclined integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and coned up to contract said connector portion and hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in oppositely incline-d positions.

17. The automobile bufi'er elementformed of wide thin steel strip and comprising transversely spaced portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and somewhat coned up to contract said connector portion and hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in converging oppositely inclined positions with their adjacent edges at the strip ends about two to four inches apart.

18. The automobile buffer element formed I further rearward than its inner edge to conof wide thin steel strip and comprising transversely spaced portions and comprismg at the end of the element an integral connector portion'of the strip edge bent and somewhat coned up to contract said connector portion and hold the adjacent trans versely spaced portions in oppositely inclined positions.

19. The automobile buffer front element formed of wide thin steel strip and'comprising transversely spaced portions and comprising at the end of the element a rearwardly inclined integral connector portion of the strip edge bent andsubstantially coned up to contract said connector portion and hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in converging closely spaced positions.

20. The automobile butter front element. formed of wide thin steel strip and co1nprising transversely spaced portions and comprising at the end of the element an integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and substantially coned up to contract said connector portion and hold the adjacent transversely spaced portions in closely spaced positions.

21. The automobile buffer front element formed of steel strip and comprising transversely spaced portions and comprising at one end of the element an integral connector portion of the strip edge bent and coned up to contract said connector portion and hold the acent transversely spaced portions in closely spaced positions'with adjacent edge portio s about two to four inches apart.

22. he automobile bufi'er front element forme of steel strip and comprising transversely spaced portions and comprising at one end of the element an integral connector portion of the strip edge bentand coned up to contract said connector portion and brin together the adjacent transversely spaced portions.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

